The Woman From the Fire Pits (Edward Kenway fanfic)
by bryannaakins560
Summary: Edward Kenway was perfectly happy drinking himself into a stupor once more. A barmaid insisted that he go down to the Fire Pits to see the Tempest fight, but he didn't expect the fighter to be a woman. Edward Kenway won some money from placing a bet on the Tempest. He was going to head back home. But a defeated, grudge-holding rival intent on killing her would soon change that...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 (Third-Person Narrator)

Edward sat quietly at the bar in the tavern, with his head down and drink in hand. It had been the same routine ever since he settled in Great Inagua. Have a bite to eat, then drink to his heart's content. But nowadays, all his heart felt was a void that had to be filled with more than just rum and running around with the ladies of the brothel. It helped satisfy him, but not as fully as he would have wanted.

"You can't keep going on like this, Edward," Maria said, filling up his cup again.

"I know, Maria." Edward replied, "But what else can I do?"

"You can go out on your own. Meet a nice lady for more than just bodily pleasures. Make some friends. Being alone like this clearly ain't doin' 'ya any good."

Just as Edward was going to speak, a man came barging into the tavern, stumbling over his own two feet and panting as if he'd been running from soldiers.

"Everyone, listen up!" His voice boomed through the entire establishment. "The Fire Pits are back! Lucy's gonna be fightin' tonight!"

The entire tavern, minus Edward, raised their cups and shouted, "AYE!" and finished their drinks with haste and immediately started to empty of patrons and courtesans alike. Edward looked around, confused and, for the first time in a long while, curious about the man's raving.

"What was all that about?" Edward asked, pushing his cup of ale away.

"The Fire Pits are open again."

"And what are they doin' there?"

"The usual. Men battling for a bit o' coin. People put bets on their favorite fighters."

"What makes this night so different?" Edward scoffed.

"There is a woman going into the ring tonight. Lucy's a bit new to the Fire Pits, but it's a sight to see when she's looking for a scrap or Dust-up."

"Are you serious? A little Bonnie lass roughin' up a bunch o' men?" Edward laughed it off.

"Don't believe me? Then go look for yourself. Place a bet on her. You'll see…."

Edward sighed deeply. He had nothing better to do, why not try something new?

"Alright, fine. I'll go…Thanks for the drinks."

"Have fun, Edward."

As Edward stepped out of the tavern, looking up at the dark, night sky, he followed the patrons from the tavern and brothel as the street started to empty. He had a fair lot of money to spare after he paid Maria for his rum and ale. Soon, he was a walkway lit by small torches staked into the sandy ground.

Without saying a word, Edward followed the path until he got to a large gathering. There were 3 rings; 1 on either side of the mass of people and another in front of them, all drawn in the sand and lit by more torches. His attention was first drawn to the commotion in front of him.

"Step right up, lads and lassies. Place your bets with speed, gents! Our favorite tonight is Miss Lucy, now with 100 bets placed on her certain victory!"

The crowds around the betting table started to slowly thin out, allowing him to walk through more easily. A man of dark hair and a woman of dark complexion were sitting patiently.

"Welcome to the Fire Pits, stranger." The ebony woman purred.

"So what will your pleasure be?" The black-haired man asked.

"200 Reales on Lucy." Edward said, dropping his sack of coins on the table.

"You've chosen well, sir." The man said.

"Always puts on a good show for everyone," the woman added.

"Where can I find her?" Edward asked.

"Over there, just under those trees." The man pointed to the left.

"Thanks." Edward said hastily and left the table.

As he weaved through the large crowd, gently shoving people aside, he got towards in front of them and there stood 3 palm trees and six contenders. A few people were amongst the first five fighters, wishing them luck and giving them loads of praise. And then, at the end, under the right palm tree, stood a full-bodied, fiery redheaded woman of fair skin and rugged appearance. She wore black pants, knee-high boots and a plain, parchment-colored long-sleeve shirt. She wore a pocket watch necklace and a pair of stud earrings.

Edward's skeptical glare soon turned into one of surprise and enthrallment. He watched her closely as she looked up a few times at the few people around her. He was about 15 feet away from her and he could make out her beautiful face. Big, bright green eyes; plump, luscious lips; high, visible cheekbones and a small, perked up nose.

Lucy was wrapping up her palms and knuckles with a thick cloth and binding them snugly before throwing a few punches and kicks at the palm tree she was sitting up against.

Once she was done, she scanned the many faces that had attended the Fire Pits tonight, giving a slight smile…that is, until she locked eyes with Edward Kenway. Her glowing, mesmerizing, green orbs met his blue sapphires. She looked away for a moment, then looked back at him; he was watching her now. She shook her head slightly and said something inaudible to her betters around her, making them disperse and leave her presence.

She leaned on the palm tree, crossing her arms and watching the other fighters she was up against. Edward took this time to slowly walk up to her and removed his hood.

She looked him up and down once. "Well, well. I don't think I seen you here before."

"I reckon not. It's my first time here."

She stood up straight and face him. "Is that so?"

"Aye, it is."

"Welcome to the Fire Pits. Hope you enjoy yourself."

Edward nodded with a slight smile on his face.

The meet-and-greet was interrupted when a conch shell trumpeted loudly. Lucy looked at the Fire Pit signaler with disappointment and rolled her eyes. She wasn't upset that the fights were starting; she enjoyed them for the mere fact that they were a good source of income for her. She was upset that her time with the mysterious new face had come to an abrupt end.

"It's time for me to go..." Lucy frowned at Edward.

"Sounds like it is."

Before she went to the far right fire pit, something compelled her to stop and look back.

"I'm Lucy, by the way." She held out her hand quickly and firmly.

"Edward." He held her hand gently, but it was Lucy that gave the firm handshake. "Nice to meet 'ya."

"Likewise." And with that last word, Lucy disappeared into the massive crowd gathering around the pits.

The announcer for the Fire Pits stood atop a rock formation.

"Gather 'round, lads and lasses. The Fire Pits will now commence!"

Another man with dark skin and even darker hair got up and stood beside him.

"Let's hear it for all the fighters, battling in the Pits tonight….Valentino Torrez! Augusto el Peligro! Christian de la Cruz! Alexander Tiburon! Jonathan Roderick!…."

Edward crossed his arms impatiently, waiting for them to finish.

"And last but not least! From right here in Great Inagua! Here she is, Miss Lucy the Tempest!"

The crowd exploded with cheers from women and men alike as the woman sauntered into the middle of the far right pit. Edward weaved his way past a few people into the first inner ring of spectators. Lucy stood with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face that reminded him of his own. She waved to the lot of them as they started to chant her name.

Once the pairs of fighters were established, the battles began. Torrez and Tiburon faced off in the middle pit. De la Cruz and Torrez were in the left pit. And Edward watched Lucy and Roderick go at it in the right pit. Roderick was one of the fighters that misjudged this woman by her somewhat slim and fragile frame for a woman of meekness. Thinking he would win through a few backhands and knocking her to the ground, she stayed down for a brief moment until Roderick started to feel like he got the upper hand. Once Lucy saw a break in his guard, she let him have it. She hit hard and fast and did not relent until she was able to kick him in the stomach, bring him to heel and knock him out with a single slug.

Edward, seeing Lucy emerge the victor, smiled at her and applauded.

Torrez and the Tiburon's fight looked more like a scuffle between two drunkards in a bar. Aimless punches and knocking each other about until one or the other submitted to the others' superiority. Tiburon came out on top in the end. De la Cruz and Torrez were complete opposites: one small-framed, agile, young man while the other a robust sailor that took down his opponents with sheer power and endurance. Torrez and Tiburon went at it in the semi-final battle. Tiburon, for this battle was clearly outmatched. Torrez was of the Spanish fleet with plenty of fighting skills under his belt, much more than a sailor from Nassau. Tiburon, in a desperate and underhanded attempt, threw sand at him close to the end of the battle and gave one last punch to him, breaking his nose and felling his rival.

Once these were said and done, they merged the three rings and made an even bigger pit in front of the rock formation on which the announcers stood.

"And now, for the final battle of the Fire Pits, Alexander el Tiburon and our own Miss Lucy the Tempest! The last one standing after 3 rounds is our champion!"

Edward stood quietly behind the ring of torches that separated him from the battlefield in which Lucy and her opponent stood. He was more preferable to studying how she fought rather than blindly join in the ranting and cheering.

Lucy's fighting style got the job done, clearly, but he saw that it was unrefined. There was no style to it at all, if any. They acted, she reacted. He punched, she dodged swiftly. But the hits she did take either rewarded her with a chance to attack or was simply a misjudgment on her part. Edward got the feeling that she never learned to properly fight someone. Was she an orphan? Or did her parents never teach her to defend herself? It was difficult to say which of the two was true. But Edward enjoyed watching her fight, until his concentration was interrupted by the conch horn. Round two was finished.

Lucy was roughed up a bit, but not too much to damper her spirit. She did a few stretches, grunting and grimacing from the obvious pain she was enduring. The bruises and cuts that Edward could see looked as bad as the ones that the men sustained. Her lower lips had a small cut, but it was bleeding and dripping rubies from her chin. A couple bruises on her eyebrow and cheek were starting to darken in color.

Tiburon had a few men helping him to recuperate as much as he could before round three began, but Edward noticed not a single man or woman was in her corner, helping her. She just did her stretches, dusted herself off and crouched for a moment. Despite her fights, she still wore a frown on her face. A blank, empty frown. Edward could see that her mind was elsewhere. Her look overwhelmed him with a feeling of void and a sense of loneliness that he felt. While he had lived a life of piracy to be able to provide more for Caroline, he lost sight of what he held dear. He had no one left in his corner, either. Sympathy overwhelmed him. Compassion surged through him. Not an ounce of pity was present within him.

Lucy took a deep breath and looked at the crowd, then el Tiburon, then her eyes settled on Edward behind him. He nodded once and she flashed him a smile and nodded before the last conch trumpet sounded.

Lucy got up and held her fists close to her face. She knew she needed to recuperate more, so she dodged as much as she could before el Tiburon stumbled. Then she pounded away at his face, torso and stomach. Sand was thrown at her before she was able to kick him. She was able to block it from hitting her eyes, but that alone was enough for el Tiburon to pound her and pound her until she started stumbling back. The shark then delivered one last punch to make her fall backwards.

The crowd erupted in disapproving boo's and hisses, then started to chant Lucy's name. Out of all the faces in the mob of people, Edward's gaze was enough to empower her again. She got back to her feet, mustering a smile as the chanting turned to applause once more.

Lucy wiped her mouth of the blood coming from her lips.

"You just don't know when to quit, do 'ya, bitch?" Tiburon taunted.

Lucy glared evilly and shook her head.

"You fight nearly as well as a man."

"Oh, really?" Lucy asked, "I was gonna say the same about you…"

That comeuppance pissed off the shark more than the actual fighting. Once he ran at her with blinding speed, she swiftly kneeled him in the groin, leaving him knelt in the sand and immobilized. Having had enough of this battle, Lucy waited for him to look up at her before she landed one final punch.

After an agonizing five seconds, the fight was done for.

"That's it! It's all over! Lucy the Tempest is our Fire Pits champion!"

All of the crowd cheered again, but Lucy's eyes rested on Edward, who was applauding her and chanting her name along with everyone else.

After a long while, nearly all of the crowds had gone. Lucy did not see Edward at all. But she knew for sure he'd return to the Pits, wanting more. His gaze never left her. He kept his eye on her the way her guardians did: for her own safety and protection. She felt like he cared more her safety than anyone else that came to see her fight.

Once she got her share of the winnings from the placed bets, she put them in her bag and made her way back into town and headed home.

Just before the two announcers took their things and packed up, Edward stopped.

"Hey, you two!"

"Hello, sir." The fair-skinned man said.

"What do 'ya need?" The dark-skinned man asked.

"That girl, Lucy, she always walk home by herself?" Edward asked.

"I'm afraid so, my friend."

"She hasn't told her guardians about her fighting. Doesn't want them to worry." The man with the light complexion frowned.

"I'll make sure she gets home safe." Edward said, pulling on his hood and taking off down the hill where he could faintly see Lucy, limping down a clear path.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 (Lucy's POV)

My body was hurting me so badly. The bruises, now discolored, were throbbing and pulsing rapidly. My head was killing me. My nose was bleeding ever still, so I plugged it and held my head downwards. My hands were okay thanks to my wrappings, but my joints and knuckles were sore from all my punching. All I wanted to do was collapse and go to sleep.

I finally came across my guardians' large dwelling. With very little windows and two doors showing the entrance and exit. They were both merchants. Their son helped them out quite frequently. Luckily, they sold so much that they weren't gone for more than a few weeks. A couple months, sometimes, but that was rare.

I tried turning the back doorknob first, but to no avail.

"Ugh, I hope they haven't locked me out again." I growled to myself.

I march my way around to the front of the house and try with the front doorknob.

"Aaaaagh….Locked out again. Curses!"

As I heard a clicking sound, I felt a sudden burning to my right arm and let out a bloodcurdling scream, falling to the stony ground. I stopped screaming to see what had hit me. I pulled my hand away from my upper arm, only to find it stained dark red with my blood. An instant river of tears streamed down my cheeks as panic forced me to scream and shout for help….Until I heard a throaty, sinister chuckle from behind me.

It took all my will I had in me to stifle my screams, stand back up and turn around to see el Tiburon and two of his friends standing ten feet from me.

"Not so tough now, are you, bitch?" El Tiburon crossed his arms.

"Fuck off, you impotent piss-worms." I growled at him.

"Hmmm, not very ladylike, is she, Tibs?" One of them asked.

"Back off, you cowardly snake," I glared at him. "I took down your precious Tiburon once before…." I stalked towards him, tightening my hands' wrappings.

"And we're here to make sure you don't do it again…" Tiburon said, pulling out his cutlass.

His two men threw me against my front door, holding me by my arms and shoulders.

"Let go o' me, you bastards!" I headbutted Tiburon as he got in my face.

"Shut up!" He backhanded me as the man on my right grabbed my arm wound, making me let out a painful scream. The pain felt like someone pouring salt on a fresh wound. Slow, intense and unbearable. It brought tears to my eyes.

El Tiburon drew his cutlass to my bare throat. "What shall we do with her before I cut her throat, lads?"

Both of the men smirked at each other before looking back at me.

"I don't know, boss." The left man shrugged.

"Why don't we see what these clothes are hiding from us…." The right man said, sliding a hand down between my breasts and down past my stomach.

"Sounds like a plan." El Tiburon began to lift up my shirt that was tucked into my leggings, but stopped in a jolt when I heard a pair of pistol shots fired.

I snapped my eyes shut, but all I heard next were two, loud bodily thuds.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw the shark's men, fallen to the ground with a hole in the back of their heads. I gasped at the grisly, bloody display; my entire body got a wave of chills and uncontrollable trembling, until a familiar voice calmed my nerves.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Someone jumped down from the house across from mine. His hooded coat gave me a small flicker of hope, but disbelief still clouded my vision.

That cloud instantly lifted when the dark figure pulled back his hood. It was HIM. Edward.

"...Back off, pendejo. I've unfinished business with this cabrona."

"I'm warning you, muckworm," Edward said, unsheathing a pair of twin cutlasses. "LET HER GO NOW!"

"Fine, then." El Tiburon took me by the neck, nearly throttling me, and tosses me aside like an empty bottle of rum. As I was gasping for breath and holding my shot arm, he withdrew another sword from his belt. "I'll kill you first, bastardo."

As the shark swung fast and hard, Edward deflected and wove around him with such precision that he seemed to be just toying with him before striking. The slashing and metallic clinging of their sword continued, the shark swung high with a loud yell. Edward ducked, shot back up and kicked him square in the gut, knocking him on his ass. Edward plunged both cutlasses into his stomach before slicing his neck swiftly.

It all happened so fast it felt like I was lying on the ground for what seemed like an eternity. I was gasping, shell-shocked at how he took down those three brutes with such impunity, stealth and skill. There was a part of her now that had come to fear him.

But I could no longer stare at him, for my blood loss was making me lightheaded and faint.

"Please, Edward…." I whispered with my last bit of strength, "…help me."

(Third-Person Narrator POV)

As Edward Kenway sheathed his swords, he turned around and ran over to Lucy.

"Please, Edward…"

"Lucy…?"

"...help me."

"No, NO!" Edward held Lucy's neck to keep her head from hitting the ground. "Lucy! Wake up…"

Edward cupped his arm under her legs and picked her up in his arms, holding her tightly as he ran down the street past her house, heading for his dwelling further down the pathway.

He threw open the door with his shoulder and rushed over to his bed. Edward set her body down as gentle as a newborn.

Edward scrambled to his dresser, desperately trying to find his first aid materials. Frustrated, he scurried to his chest he had next to it and finally found the spare first aid box he had gotten from the Jackdaw.

"Agh, finally." Edward said, slamming the chest shut behind him.

He got down on one knee beside his bed and slowly reached for Lucy's hand and held it snugly while he outstretched her arm towards him.

His patient let out agonizing whimper, then a weak sigh.

"No, Lucy…come on, stay with me."

He turned her head towards him before wiping her pistol wound clean with a damp cloth. Then he saw his cup half-filled with rum on the bedside table. He dipped a fresh piece of linen in the rum and wrung it out. He winced when he realized he would have to disinfect her wound with hard liquor.

"Hey….Lucy…"

Her eyes slightly opened, then closed again.

"Lucy, please. Look at me."

She took a shallow breath in and finally opened her eyes to meet with his.

"This will burn a bit…just hold still…"

He quickly pressed the rum-soaked linen into the hole in her arm. The stinging pain made Lucy come alive as if a bolt of lightning struck her. Lucy writhed and grabbed at his pillows and blanket in harrowing pain. The god-awful screams made Edward look wistfully at her, holding her arm in place with his free hand.

"Hang in there, lass…just hold on." Edward removed the rum cloth and placed a square of cotton over her wound before wrapping it up tightly and tying the ends together.

As Lucy started to take deep breaths to recover from screaming, Edward worked on cleaning her cuts she had and the blood that had poured and stained the corner of her mouth.

Edward had finished treating Lucy's wounds. He wiped the sweat from his face and brow, breathing a sigh of relief while holding her hand. He got up and put his first aid box away, keeping his gaze on Lucy, whom of which had her eyes closed from the pain she was enduring.

Edward took off his sweaty shirt and boots and grabbed his large bottle of rum from his pantry with a small cup and sat down on his bed gingerly, next to Lucy. His eyes never left her face, waiting for her luminous, green eyes to shine on him again.

After she opened her eyes, looking all around Edward's home, she hastily tried to sit upright in bed, and Edward was quick to halt her as she winced and groaned.

"Not so fast, lass. Take it easy." Edward helped fix her posture and placed a pillow upright to hold her up as she held her right arm over her lap.

"Goddammit…where is that damned shark that shot me?"

"Sod that old pisspot and his friends. They won't bother you anymore."

"What did you do? Kill them?"

"All three of 'em." Edward replied, smirking to himself and pouring Lucy a cup of rum.

"Good riddance." Lucy snapped. "That wanker had it coming to 'em."

Edward finished off a cup of rum before giving her a cup full.

"Here, drink this. It'll help 'ya."

Lucy gladly took his cup and downed the rum, gulp by gulp until it was done.

Edward let out a brief chuckle. "Ready for another one?"

"Please…" She said, holding up her cup as Edward filled it again.

As she drank her second rum, Edward let out a tired exhale.

"I'm going to turn in for tonight…Sweet dreams."

As Edward got up off the bed, Lucy hastily took his wrist.

"Wait a minute, where are you goin'?"

"To bed, I'm dead tired." Edward walked around to her side of the bed and made himself comfortable on the wooden floor. "I'll let you have the bed for tonight."

"Don't be silly," Lucy said firmly. "You've had a rough night. You need a proper bed to sleep on, don't you?"

"I've slept on the floor loads o' times."

"Passing out from too many drinks doesn't count as sleeping, Edward."

"Lucy!" Edward blurted and raised his voice, making Lucy jump a bit. "Sorry about that. Didn't mean to yell, but you need the rest more than me."

Lucy sighed and held her head in frustration. He was trying to be courteous, but overly so. Lucy saw the effort he had to go through to follow her home and rescue her. He needed a restful sleep or he was going to have a shitty day tomorrow.

"Okay, then. How 'bout this?" Lucy asked.

"I'm listening." Edward said, looking up at her.

"Your bed's plenty big enough for the two of us, so…I'll sleep under the blanket. You sleep on top of it. That sounds fair, right?"

"Hmmm, I suppose so." Edward shrugged and got up off the ground.

Edward wrapped one arm around her back and cupped her knees and gently moved her down the bed until she was laying down. Lucy was able to grab the blanket and pull it towards her until all but her neck and shoulders were covered. Edward fixed up her pillows last.

The tired Welshman walked around to the empty bedside and laid down next to Lucy with two pillows under his head. Before he could blow out the large candle at his bedside, Lucy's voice caught his attention.

"Edward…?"

"Aye?"

I was jus' thinkin'…if it weren't for you, I would probably be dead…"

"That's why I followed you home. It looked like you were in bad shape. You shouldn't have walked home by yourself."

"I always walk home by myself….But you're right, I shouldn't."

"Don't 'ya have a mother or father? I'm sure they worry 'bout you."

"No, I don't…or rather, I do not know. I was only a little child when we were separated. My guardians found me after awhile of living on the street. I've been with them ever since."

"And where are your guardians?"

"On a merchant trip." Lucy yawned quietly. "Shouldn't take more than a few days' time."

"Until they return from their trip, you can stay here if you like." Edward turned his head to look at Lucy, who had a concerned frown on her face.

"I couldn't impose anythin', Edward. I don't wanna be a bother."

"You won't be." Edward smiled at her. "I haven't enjoyed the company of a woman in a long time….it'll be a nice change o' pace for me…."

Just as Lucy closed her eyes, she remembered something.

"Uhm, Edward…by the way, thank you…for saving my life. It was…very kind of you."

"You're welcome….Goodnight, Lucy."

"Goodnight, Edward." Lucy's voice hitched slightly as she had a new-found feeling of peace and tranquility that she had never felt before. And it was just enough to lull Lucy into a deep slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 (Lucy's POV)

My peaceful sleep was broken when I the harsh shine from the sun shone in my eyes. I felt its somewhat comforting warmth on my eyelids as I opened them cautiously. I squinted hastily and turned my face away from the sunlight. Normally, I am a light sleeper, but last night was the most restful bit of sleep I had gotten in a long time.

I yawned and stretched my good arm and legs towards the foot of the bed before opening my eyes fully to look around the room. A wooden table on either side of the bed, but mine had a plate of sliced mango, papaya, pineapple and a small piece of bread. There was a cup next to it, so I picked it up and it was a cup of fruit juice. Mango, to be exact. Then, it hit me; Edward gave me a couple rums to drink. It was to help soothe a possible hangover. Clearly, he didn't know that it takes more than a few cups to intoxicate me; but, in his defense, I was wounded and had bled out, so my headache and grogginess was a bit much.

While drinking some of the juice, I glanced around the room only to find Edward was nowhere to be found.

"That is rather odd," I said aloud. "He's not home? Hmph, no matter. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

I drank the last of my juice and ate the bread in a few bites before trying to swivel my legs out of bed. The pain was there from the night before, but just all throughout and not as intense; it was, for the time being, tolerable.

I pushed the blanket off me and got to my feet. It was pretty sunny and warm today. I went over to Edward's side of the bed and looked out the window. The salty sea air permeated my nostrils and made me wince. The slight breeze helped cool me off, since I had been sweating a little; I gave off a lot of body heat, especially when I slept under a heavy blanket, or any blanket, for that matter.

I took a few moments to just bask in the simple sounds I heard from the streets. A dog barking. A cat hissing, maybe out of fear or aggression. The collective banter of the people, walking by my window. Just then, I saw a little boy, sitting under the shade of a tree. He looked like he was little more than 6 or 7 years of age, with shaggy, dirty brown hair and a cute baby face. His frame was very skinny, almost sickly; he was sitting with his head down and his legs tucked up close to his body. I knew that feeling all too well. Not having anything decent to eat for days, barely clean water to drink. Not knowing anyone that cared about you or bothered to notice. So I tried calling out to him.

"Psst! Hey, you there!"

"Huh?" He looked up and around until his dark eyes rested on me and I waved at him. "Was that you?"

"Come over here. Please?"

He ran up to me almost immediately.

I got out a little sack full of coin from my bag. "What's your name, little one?"

"I'm Henry."

"Well, Henry. I got somethin' for 'ya today." I handed him the sack of coin, but held onto it even after he had his hand underneath it. "You look like a nice boy, Henry. I was an orphan, too. I know what its like to have an empty belly."

"It's true, ma'am. I haven't eaten for sometime now."

"Well, say no more, Henry. I want you to take this bit of coin, go into the market and get yourself a nice plate of meat and bread for 'ya. Tell 'em Lucy sent you."

"Oh, bless you, miss! You're very kind." He jumped up and threw his arms around me and I gave him a tight, careful hug.

"Once you've filled that belly of yours, make that coin last you the week, okay?"

"Oh, yes, miss Lucy. Thank you!"

"Bye, Henry." I said, waving to him as he ran off into town, whooping and hollering like a giddy schoolboy. "Be safe."

It felt good to help a child that came from the same condition I used to be in. As I stepped into my dark brown, leather boots, I sighed happily and turned away from the window, only to find Edward, standing five feet from me, crossing his arms and smiling at me. Not smirking, but a genuine grin that matched my own that I wore.

I gasped very loudly, feeling my heart skip a few beats. "Jesus, Edward!"

"Morning, Lucy." He said.

"You scared me, I-I didn't hear you come in."

"Thought you'd be asleep still. Wouldn't be very nice if I woke you, would it?"

"I doubt if you could." I shrugged. "I'm a very heavy sleeper."

"I can tell." Edward's smirk returned. "Caught you snoring a few times last night."

As he walked away, chuckling to himself, I felt my cheeks get warm.

"Oh, I-I was…?"

"Aye, you were, lass." Edward flashed a pearly-white, cheeky smile at me as he laughed under his breath.

"Oh, good Lord…" I knew I was blushing now, my cheeks were burning up, even more so when he turned back and saw me again.

"You're blushing, Lucy."

"Of course I am!" I blurted. "I hate it when I snore. It's very unattractive."

"Doesn't bother me in the slightest." Edward said.

"I-I-it doesn't vex you?"

He just shook his head at me.

"Well…okay then."

As I sat down on my bedside near the pillows, I started on eating my plate of food, then Edward sat and joined me. He sat just a few feet from me, and it made my heart beat faster. Why do I feel like this around him? Why?

"So, Edward…"

"Yeah?"

"How did you do it?" I asked, finishing a slice of mango.

"Do what?"

"How did you find me?" I clarified.

"Followed you home from the Fire Pits." Edward said. "To make sure you got home safely."

"So you were stalking me…" I said with a tense tone.

"You took some hard knocks from the Pits. Wouldn't be right of me to let 'ya go alone."

"Well, uhm, thank you. I…understand your concern."

"'Twas the least I could do to help a lady."

"Did you enjoy the show?" I said, changing the subject quickly.

"Aye, every moment of it." Edward said. "Also got me a little loot from it."

"You placed a bet on me?"

"Maria said you were a tough lass, so I went for it."

"The cute one from the tavern. Of course."

"How long 'ya been fightin' down there?" Edward asked.

"For a month, about." I pondered. "Been battling these tosspots once a week. Twice a week, if the fights are easy for me."

"Never thought a woman could carry herself as well as a man."

"They never do, Edward. Then they see me give a few men a dust-up, and they're dumbfounded and speechless….But I've been thinkin' 'bout stopping for awhile."

"Why is that?" Edward finished his food and set his plate aside.

"It doesn't come naturally to me. Everything I know, I've learned from experience. I just…react. Out of instinct, like a wild animal. Some have said that I've a natural talent for fighting. No one taught me this. I forced myself to toughen up."

"No one's taught you to fight?" Edward's tone was soon filled with concern.

"No. The fighters from the Pits are all selfish and greedy. No one cared if I lost or won, lived or died. My mother and father, I know nothing about. My guardians say that they found me on the streets from a young age. I asked them about my mum and dad, but…they swore not to say a word until I was 'old enough to understand'…"

"So, you are an orphan…"

"Sure, some volunteered to teach me to defend myself, but they were pisspots. Didn't look like they could hold their own. I just visited the Fire Pits for awhile, observing how they punched, kicked, dodged and countered. But if I could, I'd love to learn from….a pirate. A buccaneer. A scourge of the Seven Seas."

Edward's eyes widened as he sat up straight on the bed. "What makes you think a pirate would be a good teacher?"

"They're the best you could ask for, Edward." I stood up in front of him. "They fight men all the time, on land or at sea. Fighting on land is one thing, but fighting on a rocking ship is another. One of my guardians used to be a privateer, he told me if you want to learn to fight, find a pirate. There's no one else better."

"Is that so…? Well, what if I told you that I knew a pirate?" Edward said with a slight matter-of-fact voice.

"Do you, Edward?" I gasped at him. "Oh, pray tell. Who is he?"

"Me, Lucy." I froze in place, watching him stand up just a foot in front of me. "I will teach you to fight."

"Are you serious? You're not a pirate, are you?"

"Edward James Kenway, captain of the Jackdaw. And 2 years before the mast as a privateer. I'll teach you to carry yourself as well as any man that's set foot on my ship."

My jaw dropped like a ship's anchor. "You're the infamous Captain Kenway? You knew Blackbeard, Calico and James Kidd and Hornigold?"

"Aye, Lucy; I sailed with them for six years."

"That is…amazing." I covered my mouth with one hand. I was too much in shock and awe. I never thought that Captain Kenway and I would ever meet in this lifetime. "A-a-and you don't mind teaching me to defend myself?"

"Not at all." As he pulled on his hood, her sheathed his cutlasses and four pistols along with a few other weapons. "Like I said, it'll be a nice change of pace for me."

I tried to get up from my seat on the bed and put too much pressure on my bad arm, forcing out a muffled whimper from my lungs.

"Are you alright?" Edward spun around and knelt down in front of me.

"I think so." I brought my right arm across my bosom. "I've never been shot before. It hurts like hell."

"Let me have a look." Edward said, taking my hand in his and my upper arm with his other hand. After I winced, I felt nothing but the warmth from his hands. They were rough like a sailor's, but still warm to the touch like mine. He gently tugged at the tie he made with the linen and unwrapped it from my arm. All I could do was stare at his sapphire orbs he had for eyes. Striking blue, like the ocean.

"You…." I was at a loss for words, but it made Edward look up at me. "You have really pretty eyes."

"Not as pretty as yours, Lucy the Tempest." He said with a strong, gruff voice.

I felt my cheeks burn up again. "E-Edward, my…that's not my real name."

"Then what is your name, lass?"

"Lucy Grace Clarabelle." I smiled as he finished unwrapping the last of the linen. His smile seemed to melt my heart from within. His ocean-blue eyes locked with my emerald-green ones and he just stayed there, silent.

"Lucy Grace….That's a beautiful name."

As Edward averted his mesmerizing stare and removed the square of cotton from my wound, it was clotted greatly, but still dripping. Luckily, the bullet grazed my arm and didn't go through my arm. I caught a glimpse of it, and groaned more out of disgust from the grisliness of it.

"It's healing up pretty well." Edward lifted my arm up into the sunlight. Then, he got a bowl from his bedside and dipped a piece of cloth into it. I flinched anxiously.

"Tell me that's not rum again." I gritted.

"Heh heh, no it's not. Just saltwater." Edward wrung it out. "Heard from a neighbor heating it up and boiling it helps clean the water."

"He's right." I added. "It gets rid of muck and germs and other nasty stuff."

Edward wiped around the wound, freeing it of any blood streaks and stains on my arm before putting a fresh square of cotton over it. As he was wrapping it, his eyes settled on the area above my upper arm just beneath my shoulder. My X-shaped scars.

"What is that? That X on your arm. Is that a burn?"

"I…it's a…" I sighed. Now was not the time to dig up old memories. "I'll tell you later. It's very…hard for me to bring up."

"Say no more, Lucy Grace. I understand."

"It's just Lucy, you know." I raised an eyebrow.

"I know it is…." Then I saw his eye twitch; what, did he just…wink at me?

After he tied off the wrappings, he got up again and headed for the door.

"What're you doing?" I asked him. He looked like he was going somewhere.

"Grab your bag, Lucy Grace….We're goin' to the Jackdaw."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 (Third Person Narrator)

As Lucy and Edward walked through town towards the docks, they came upon the General Store and the Tavern. Normally, Lucy was used to all the people that strolled past her, but today, random people were coming straight up to her as she and Edward walked alongside each other.

"Oy, Lucy! Great show last night!" One man shouted.

"Oh, thank you, sir. Glad you liked it."

"We love you, Tempest!" A woman from the brothel yelled out.

"Thank you, miss."

"Good luck next time, lassie!" A tipsy man called from the tavern.

"Thank you very much..."

Edward's eyes shifted from person to person as they all praised and congratulated her. Once they passed the town completely and went down a hill, it subsided.

"Sounds like you're their favorite fighter." Edward commented.

"It seems so. I'm not accustomed to this much attention and...adulation."

"And why is that?" Edward asked.

"I was an orphan. People saw me, but paid no mind. I was seen, but unseen. Invisible, if you will. I'm used to being ignored, looked over, not given a passing glance."

"You shouldn't feel that way..."

"What do you mean, I shouldn't?"

Edward and I both stopped walking and face each other.

"Look at you, lass. You're intelligent and beautiful. Any man that ignores you is either blind or has poor taste in women."

"Or both." I added, scoffing and resuming walking towards the docks.

"But, Lucy, in all seriousness, doesn't your man back home pay you any mind?"

"I, uh, wouldn't know, Edward...I don't have a man to call my own."

"Tell me you're joking."

I just ignored his disbelief.

"With your beauty, how do men not throw themselves at you?" Edward turned his head to look at me as he walked.

"They have. Believe me, they have. It's stupid, really. They're steaming drunk most of the time. I want a man that's...different."

"What do you mean, 'different'?"

"Someone that has more on his mind than his next trip to the brothel or tavern. A man that is...genuine, caring, sensitive and...and..." I was tearing up, I could feel it. My cheeks burned, my eyes were moist and my lips were trembling.

"...What else...?" I heard Edward say, briefly helping me to come to my senses.

"Hmmm, what?"

"What else do you seek in a man?" Edward jogged my memory.

"Ugh, forget it." I shook my head. He wouldn't care if I told him. "It's dumb an' stupid. It doesn't matter."

"Oh, come on, Lucy. Tell me."

"Romance." I muttered.

"You're looking for a romantic one?"

"Yes...a man that's passionate, romantic...that has love in his heart."

"Haven't you ever sought that out on your own?"

"I have, yes...But...I'll tell you when I'm ready, okay?"

"Alright..."

Just as I felt my boots walk over wooden boards, I lifted my head up and saw the most magnificent brig I ever saw. With large, white sails and a red flag instead of a skull and crossbones. I was used to sailing on a schooner with my guardians, but this one was absolutely gorgeous. The hull was a light brown with dark brown accents. The sails were a pristine white. And on the bow of the ship was a wooden figurehead of a black bird that looked like a sparrow.

"Oh, my God..." I gasped at the sight of his vessel. "It is beautiful."

"Aye, she is, isn't she?"

As his hand rested on my shoulder, I said something to make my blush leave my face. "Why is the ship adorned with a bird?"

"I named her the Jackdaw, after a sly, little bird I loved back in Swansea."

As Edward walked on to the plank that bridged the gap between the dock and the Jackdaw, my feet took root and did not budge. "W-w-wait, what're you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Edward said. "We're going sailing, just you and me."

"Uhm, Edward, I-"

"Lucy, what's wrong?"

"I...I can't swim." I mumbled. "Edward, I can't swim." I kept staring at the rippling ocean beneath the flimsy, wooden board.

Edward looked down and back up at me and it finally registered. He walked from the midway point of the plank back forward to stand in front of me.

"Lucy Grace, it's okay..." I felt his hand bring my chin back up so that we were gazing into each other's eyes.

"Edward, I'm scared...I can't move, I-I'm...terrified." My body was shaking, my knees weaker than a pair of twigs.

"You're going to be alright," Edward said in an unusually warm voice. "Here. Take my hands...Trust me."

After locking eyes with him for an eternity, I gently laid my hands on his as he curled his fingers around them and lead me across the plank. Once I stepped down onto the sturdy deck of his ship, he gently let go of my hands. His crew took a few momentary glances at me as they prepared to get the Jackdaw away from the docks.

I hear his footsteps retreating as he went up the stairs and took the helm.

"Loose the sails! Let's get movin'!"

After a few minutes of feeling the swaying and rocking motion of the Jackdaw, I heard a cry from the stern of the ship. "Let's hear a shanty, lads!"

As I slowly made my way to the bow of the ship, just feet away from the figurehead, the crew started to sing the shanty, Leave Her, Johnny. It was one of my favorites. After gazing at the Jackdaw figurehead, I rested my arms on the right side of the ship, feeling the salty-smelling wind in my face.

"I thought I heard the old man say, 'Leave Her, Johnny! Leave Her! Tomorrow, ye will get yer pay, and it's time for us to leave her..."

As the crew and Edward sang the shanty, my mind wandered to when my guardians would sing their songs on the ship. They first heard me sing this very song and they thought my voice was as alluring and heavenly as a mermaid's voice.

As I looked back at Edward, keeping the Jackdaw sailing straight and true, I managed a gentle smile and, surprisingly, he returned it.

As I heard the final verse of the shanty, being finished, I decided to join in, thinking none of them would pay attention to my little voice among theirs.

"Leave her, Johnny! Leave her! Oh, Leave her, Johnny! Leave her! For the voyage is long and the winds don't blow and it's time for us to leave her..."

My anxiety only grew as I heard the men slowly become quiet, one by one. By the time I finished the shanty, I looked back, bewildered and shocked. All eyes, including Edward's, were on me. The deathly silence soon broke and was followed by an uproarious applause by everyone on deck.

"Let's hear it for Miss Lucy Grace, lads!" Edward took his hands off the helm and clapped his hands vigorously as his crew joined in with applause, whistles and a few men waving their hats about and blew kisses at me.

As I made my way back to the helm, I timed my sideways strides to when Edward turned the helm of his ship so that I walked with complete fluidity. I made my way up the stairs and sat down to the right of the helm.

"You never told me you could sing." Edward mentioned.

"I didn't really want to. I hate singing for people...My voice cracks..."

"You get nervous when you know there are people listening."

"Yes, yes I do."

"Then maybe you should sing for us more often." Edward said.

"N-no, I can't."

Edward had knelt down in front of me while his first mate took the helm.

"Yes, you can. You can conquer this fear, but you've got to face it head-on."

"Oh, and how do you propose I face my fear?" I snapped slightly.

"Start small, Lucy. Take baby steps. If it helps 'ya, you can sing for me later on, when everyone's below deck. No one will be around to hear you."

"I did sing for my guardians, just the two o' them. But that was a long time ago..."

"C'mon, Lucy. Please sing...for me?" Edward's eyes seemed to catch the sun's rays and shine as bright as the ocean itself as he flashed a smoldering grin at me.

"Mmmmm, alright, fine. I'll sing for you."

"I'll hold you to it, lass."

Damn that blond Welshman. He was practically begging without actually doing so. Being all charming and suave and...why do I feel this way about him? My heart skips a beat as if it were taking a frolic. My stomach flutters about at his slightest touch. His eyes leave me entranced and hypnotized. I feel protected and safe with him. I have fallen for only one man before him, but my feelings were misplaced. Is my heart in the right place this time? Do I...have feelings for Edward Kenway?


	5. Author's Note! Thank You! -BA

To All My Readers, a HUGE thank you for taking the time to read my two Assassin's Creed fanfics for Shay Cormac and Edward Kenway. Kenway's is relatively new, but I thought I would take the time to say thanks and pause my writing to give you all time to catch up on all the chapters.

Also going through a stressful time right now, so I got other things to handle on my own.

Fave my stories and follow them if you will and please leave a review at the bottom of this chapter and let me know what you think of my fanfic so far. Also let me know of any suggestions or future chapter ideas or what improvements I could make.

Thank You!

Bryanna


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